Questions & Answers about Saya mengikuti kelas teater di teater kota.
What does mengikuti literally mean, and why is it used for “take/attend a class” here?
The base verb is ikuti, from ikut (to follow, to join). The prefix me- makes it an active verb: mengikuti.
Literally, mengikuti means “to follow” or “to take part in / join (an activity)”.
In Indonesian, mengikuti kelas is a standard way to say:
- “attend a class”
- “take a class/course” (enrolled and participating)
So Saya mengikuti kelas teater = “I take / am attending a theater class.”
It implies more than just showing up once; it suggests you are a participant in that course.
Could I say Saya mengambil kelas teater instead of Saya mengikuti kelas teater?
You can say Saya mengambil kelas teater, and people will understand you. Mengambil literally means “to take (physically)”, but it’s also used in the school/university context for:
- mengambil mata kuliah A = to take course A
- mengambil jurusan hukum = to major in law
Nuance:
- mengikuti kelas teater – sounds like you attend / participate in that class (focus on participation).
- mengambil kelas teater – sounds more like you signed up for / are taking that class in a formal/academic sense.
Both are acceptable; mengikuti is slightly more neutral and common in everyday speech about attending a class.